


The Fables of Caspar and Ashe

by Doco56



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: M/M, Post Verdant Wind, only story-death characters are dead, so all recruitable students and Dedue are alive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-01-29 14:14:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21411505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doco56/pseuds/Doco56
Summary: This is basically gonna be a slow burn Caspashe fic about their adventures after the story of Verdant Wind. I'm leaving a lot of things open and there's no strict way I'm doing things.
Relationships: Caspar von Bergliez/Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert
Comments: 5
Kudos: 26





	1. Foreword and Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> "After the war, Caspar and Ashe embarked on a carefree journey around the world. They traveled to every corner of Fódlan, and even ventured abroad now and again, with the sole purpose of punishing those who preyed upon the helpless. Though Caspar seemed to get into trouble at every turn, Ashe was always there to get him out of it, and Caspar's bravery and strength returned the favor more than once. Though opposites in many ways, they shared the same view of justice, and their abilities complemented one another nicely. The stories of their adventures lived on as exciting and amusing folktales. "  
\- Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Caspar and Ashe's ending

### Foreword

Finally, finally it was over. With the slaying of the Fell King Nemesis, the war had come to an end. Byleth became the ruler of Fodlan and many of their ex-students had spread far and wide to aid in the rebuilding of the continent and, through Claude’s leadership and partnership, foreign relations with the nearby countries were improved greatly.  


This was no easy task; the land had been ravaged over the last five years and it would be quite a while before Fodlan reclaimed its former peace and prosperity. With the Empire, Kingdom and Alliance now united under one banner – the crest of flames - things were very steadily getting better. However, bandits and evil doers, while lesser, still took advantage of the weakened state of the people and villagers. In some cases, people turned to crime if their area had not yet been restored – they needed to survive somehow.  


Fortunately, this would not last. The Knights of Seiros and the heroes of the war, previously tutored by the enlightened one, were able to restore order. A certain duo of these heroes became prominent as they travelled the land, restoring justice and enjoying each-other’s company as they went. No evil doer could beat the masterful marksmanship of one, and the persevering strength of the other, alongside the fury of their fearsome wyverns and one curiously chubby cat. Together they were unstoppable. The following tales document their many adventures, thoughts and feelings in this post-war era of peace in Fodlan. It also shows the deepening of their love for each other as they travelled together, confiding in each other and growing to become a duo bounded by more than just their fight for the little people of the continent they call home.  
Welcome to the Fables of Caspar and Ashe.  


### Prologue

The War had ended and now the reconstruction of the continent could begin. In a few days, Ashe’s fellow classmates would disperse across Fodlan, aiding in rebuilding efforts wherever they could, away from Garreg Mach. Naturally this included Ashe, he had family and territory to return to, he was the heir of House Gaspard after all. But in all honesty, it was bittersweet. There was no longer any threat of war descending on the continent with Byleth on the throne, and Claude repairing relationships with the neighbouring countries and that was fantastic! But Ashe would be lying if he said he was happy for everyone to be going their separate ways, sure they had completed the majority of their year at Garreg Mach but he would surely miss being around everyone. Reuniting after five years had helped, but now it was over again. If he could have his way, he would make everyone go back to before Edelgard, before the war, before everything went wrong and stop it...somehow.  
Ashe mulled over these thoughts as he was sitting down in the gardens with some tea.  


“Y’know the world can’t go back to how things were, right?” A joyful voice came from behind him. He turned around to greet his blue-haired friend.  


“Oh Caspar, hello. What brings you here? And...yes I know,” he replied, “I’m just a bit unsure about the future, I suppose.” Caspar sat down next to him, his brown armour reflecting in the twilight.  


“Unsure, eh? Sucks for you I suppose” teased Caspar, before taking on a softer tone and looking to the ground “Uh... honestly, I’m not too sure either. I’m a second son, and my father and brother are alive after I convinced them to swear fealty to our professor. I don’t really have anywhere to go.”  


Ashe offered him some tea, not too bothered Caspar hadn’t actually answered his question. A soft ‘meow’ sounded and a chubby cat joined the two of them and leapt up onto the table, Tubbs, as he had come to be known. The cat had been looked after quite well by both men and was special to them. The three sat in silence, apart from Tubbs’ occasional purring, for a couple minutes enjoying the evening twilight, sipping tea. It was peaceful, and relaxing. Ashe knew he was going to miss this place terribly, it had been largely formative for him and his friends and he wondered if the others felt the same.  


The grey-haired man must have had a look on his face because Caspar nudged Ashe and piped up, “I’m going to miss this place too y’know. Especially the training room! Aw man, that place is so important to me, especially when I was here as a student, it was like my second home!”  


Ashe thought for a moment, “Personally I’m going to miss the greenhouse and fishing pond the most. Oh! And also the kitchen! I would cook in there with the professor and Dedue quite a lot!” he smiled.  


“My favourite part of the kitchen was the food that came out of it and then sharing that food with everyone. I made so many friends here, even people who I never would have talked to a lot are now some of my best friends, like you and Tubbs here!” Caspar finished, scratching Tubbs’ ears to the sound of more purring.  


The ‘never would have talked to’ part stung a little, but Ashe appreciated the sentiment nonetheless and found himself agreeing. They laughed together over their tea.  
“Um...actually…” Caspar stopped himself before looking down and holding his cup in against the table in his hands.  


Ashe looked at him with a quizzical expression, “What is it Caspar? You don’t need to hide something from me if it concerns you! We’re good friends after all...”  


Caspar took a breath, “There was a reason I came to find you,” he rubbed the back of his neck and averted his eyes, “W-would it be okay if I went with you to Castle Gaspard?” There was a slight blush on his face as he asked this, and he looked back at Ashe.  


“Of course you can come!” Ashe replied, perhaps a bit too quickly, “But, I do wonder why you asked me instead of someone else. You’ve known some of them a lot longer than you’ve known me, especially Linhardt! Wouldn’t you be more comfortable somewhere else?”  


Ashe definitely liked how the idea sounded, and it would mean that he wouldn’t have to say farewell to all of his friends. Both he and Caspar valued justice and punishing evil doers, so there was no doubt Caspar would be great company and a great asset for Gaspard territory, together they could do great things, there was no doubt.  


Caspar grinned, back to his confident self, “Heh heh, Linhardt is great and all, but I’m not sure I could stand his lectures, plus he sleeps a lot so I think I’d be kinda bored most of the time. Even so, he and I have different goals. And I think you and I could do great things together, we both care about punishing evil-doers and I think you can keep me from going overboard.”  


Ashe grinned back, “You said exactly what I was thinking! Then it’s settled, you’ll join me on the way back to Castle Gaspard!” They shook hands. “Anyway, it’s almost dinnertime so let’s head to the dining hall,” Ashe stood up, “I’m pretty famished, and there’s a lot of people to say bye to!”  


The next few days involved a lot of tearful goodbyes, vows to write to each other and vows to meet up when possible. Ashe and Caspar weren’t the only ones leaving as a pair either: Sylvain and Felix were going to rebuild their territories together, Ignatz and Raphael intended to form a combined merchant organisation, Petra returned to Brigid with Dorothea at her side. Even some of the Knights of Seiros were leaving to follow their own adventures - Shamir and Catherine were headed to Dagda, Flayn and Seteth went on some journey too. Many of the students all went off in this way - all with the goal to make Fodlan a better place for everybody. As more and more people dispersed, Ashe found himself feeling quite down, but the fact that Caspar would be joining him never failed to make him smile, and after saying farewell to the professor, the two set off, their Wyverns and one chubby cat in tow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, I know this was kinda short, but it's only the prologue. Later chapters will hopefully be a bit more meaty, content-wise. I've never written fanfic in my life (which might be obvious), but I love Caspashe so much and I feel like their ending just begs for their adventures to be written about.
> 
> I intend to write stories of many kinds, some will be just silly stuff and others will take on a more serious tone. Tubbs is there because he's basically the rep of their relationship, and I have wyverns for a few reasons: a) they're both decent wyvern riders/lords in game (though Caspar will likely take on a War Master style for the most part, Ashe will still have his bow obvs, but may use an axe at other times) b) it helps with travel c) I thought it'd be fun for them to have pet wyverns (still need to think of names for them tho, feel free to suggest some).
> 
> Also, I know Caspar isn't super smart or anything, but I like to think the reason he can tell what Ashe is feeling so well is because they compliment each other so well and they're close enough to do that.
> 
> I also don't have a set timetable of releasing chapters, since this is just a bit of a hobby I suppose, and I have no set number of chapters, so this could go on for a long time...sorry...
> 
> I hope you enjoy it regardless!


	2. To Gaspard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The adventure begins.

The sky was grey as the two young heroes bade farewell to those of their friends who were still at Garreg Mach. As with the others, it was bittersweet to be leaving the people they had just fought with in a long and bloody war, but now that there was peace, there was no worry of their friends dying before they could see them again. Before they left, Caspar and Ashe made sure to speak to Byleth one last time. Despite their quiet and mostly non-emotional demeanour (though much more expressive since the war ended), the professor-now-monarch had been the cornerstone of their growth and training as soldiers, and as people, both before and during the war. It wasn’t right to leave without saying anything. 

Apparently - the boys noticed - the professor still had time for their students as they didn’t experience any resistance on their way to see them. This was odd to Ashe, but also a comfort of the professor’s love for their students.

“Shouldn’t the professor be more heavily guarded? They’re the monarch now, after all,” he wondered to his companion. Caspar couldn’t help but chuckle in response.

“Surely you know the professor is powerful enough themselves to not need protection all the time - we’ve seen it in battle, not to mention there isn’t really anyone who would attempt an attack anymore. The continent is united and there’s nothing to worry about anymore. C’mon Ashe, surely you realise this,” he patted his friend's shoulder. Caspar was of course speaking the truth.

“Pahahahaha, you’re right, what am I thinking? I guess I’m still in war-mode after all.” He smiled back with a slight shrug. This also struck Ashe as odd, there was no reason to be in war-mode, so why was he? The truth was that things wouldn’t truly be over for him until he was back home with his family in Castle Gaspard - where he could feel true security. But he pushed these thoughts aside, for the most part it was just getting used to being in peacetime after five years of war. They arrived at the second floor war room, much to the pleasant surprise of Byleth, and apparently Claude. They seemed to be discussing some matters of foreign relations. 

“...okay, after I'm done in my lovely kingdom of Almyra, I’ll cross the continent of Fodlan to join Petra in Brigid and discuss things with her there. How’s that sound, teach?” Claude asked, now wearing the royal robes of Almyra. Byleth gave him the affirmative, just in time too as Ashe and Caspar reached their end of the table.

Caspar started, in his typical Caspar way, “Hey, your highnesses! We just wanted to come say our goodbyes and offer our thanks.” 

Claude laughed “Pfft, Caspar, no need for the formalities. We’re all friends here, Teach and I may be rulers now but you guys don’t need to address us so formally.”

“Indeed,” added Byleth, a rare line, “I can't see myself as anything other than a friend and professor to you two, so relax. Besides, if you didn’t come here I would’ve come and found you myself!”

“Right!” Claude continued, “It should be us thanking you! Without your combat skills - Ashe with your critical aim - almost as good as mine - and Caspar with your strength and unmatched will, we wouldn’t have gotten through the war so cleanly! Without a doubt, you two are heroes.”

Both Ashe and Caspar were taken aback. Heroes? Them? The bullheaded Caspar, who was always getting into fights, and the somewhat timid Ashe, who was still a bit afraid of the dark. They were heroes? Their dreams had come true on the spot. A thought crossed both their minds, but the other wasn’t aware. Just how much good could they do now they were heroes? This would be something to think about later - for now the priority was returning to Gaspard.

Ashe piped up. “Professor, Claude. Thank you both so much. Your leadership and teaching is the only reason why I’m here today and I couldn’t have done it without you. Under your supervision, I feel I have definitely grown to strengths otherwise unreachable and I could not be happier to fly the Crest of Flames, and have you as our leaders for the future. I must return to my home at Gaspard, but I won’t forget a single moment of my time here at Garreg Mach, and I’ll be sure to bring Caspar along with me to any future celebrations here!” He beamed.

“Hey!” It was Caspar’s turn to speak. “I don’t need you to convince me to come to the special events, I would do that on my own” he pouted, but there was a hint of humour in his expression. Caspar turned to Byleth and Claude. “Heh. Ashe basically said the same stuff I was thinking, but again thank you. I know I could be a nuisance sometimes, getting into unnecessary fights and all that, but y’know, I think they were a valuable part of my experience here. I’ve learned a lot from you Professor, and Claude I’m grateful you let me join your house and aid you in this fight. Fodlan will be better for it, but hopefully I can still find some evil heads to smash!” A devilish grin formed on his lips and he smashed his right fist into his left palm. “You can count on that!”

“Caspar...” Ashe was chuckling “Enough. It’s time we were off - we have lots of land to cover…oh and we’re taking Tubbs with us, as well as our Wyverns, that okay?” He asked the professor, who nodded.

“Right then!”

And with that the two bowed and began to make their way out. Just before they could leave though….

“One second you two!” Byleth walked towards them. They stopped in their tracks, they had no idea what was coming. Suddenly the professor reached for them and…hugged them? 

“I treasure all my students. You’re precious to me. So stay safe. You’re heroes, so go out and act like them okay? You two will be fantastic.” The green-haired monarch exited the hug and smiled, content that these two, as well as the other students would keep Fodlan safe. After the two heroes left, after bowing once again, Claude turned to Byleth. 

#### 

“They have no idea how into each other they are, do they?” he asked, smiling and shaking his head. 

Byleth smiled “No, no they do not. Who knows how long it will take...”

* * *

The wagon was full, and their two Wyverns were equipped to travel, not to mention Tubbs in tow, it was finally time to leave the monastery. Gaspard was a few days journey away. They had all the food, weapons and money they might need. So nothing could go wrong!

“You ready to go ol’ boy?” Caspar asked.

“Caspar...we’re the same age.” Ashe responded, sending a pointed look to his companion, he was slightly offended.

“No doofus, I was talking to Claw.” came the reply, along with laughter. Caspar was petting his flying friend and a soft rumble confirmed Claw appreciated the gesture. 

Ashe blushed “O-oh...how silly of me…” he couldn’t help but laugh at himself. “Sorry Caspar. Anyway…” he turned to his own wyvern, “how's my good girl. Who’s the best wyvern...who’s the best wyvern.” he cooed at his own wyvern, scratching her scaly belly. Her name was Thora, after the lightning magic as Ashe liked the idea of being a force from the air with his bow and mount. Given Ashe had been a Wyvern class for longer, his relationship with Thora was stronger than that of Caspar’s with Claw, but they both cared dearly for their mounts and together they were quite the dynamic duo. Neither could stand leaving their wyverns at Garreg Mach and they certainly were grateful the professor allowed them to accompany them. It was just a shame they couldn’t fly them the whole way given all their luggage (and Tubbs) residing in the wagon. But there would be plenty of time for that later on.

“Caspar, you still want to come with me? A hundred percent? Are you sure?”

“Of course! Now let’s get going. RACE YA!” And suddenly Caspar was darting off on horseback, Claw following loyally from the air. 

“W-wait….CASPAR! We gotta protect the wagon! Caspar!” But he was too far ahead. Ashe resigned himself, a soft smile on his face. While he wasn’t too sure what the future held for him - indeed nobody can predict the future - he at least knew that, with his friend Caspar around, it would certainly be exciting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, I apologise that this kinda came off as another prologue chapter. I didn’t realise until i was writing it how much i wanted that stuff with Byleth and Claude at the monastery. I like to think that after the war Byleth becomes a little more emotional, and i really wanted to show how much they care for their students. It’s also kinda reflective of any 3H player I imagine. 
> 
> Also, I planted some seeds for one or two things which will jump start their actual adventures after a short stay at Castle Gaspard - what Byleth told them will play into that.
> 
> ALSO. HAPPY CASHPAR/CASPASHE WEEK (starts 24th Nov 19). I won’t be writing stuff but I can’t wait to see what others do! Enjoy!
> 
> I’m not gonna say next chapter will be longer...becuase i’m not sure if it will be seeing as this one was only a bit longer. But i hope it’s enough words to not be too short until I update again.
> 
> Anyway, all constructive feedback is appreciated! I really hope you enjoy!


	3. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashe and Caspar returned to Gaspard, but something is off.

Several days had gone by since Caspar and Ashe left Garrag Mach and they were less than a day or so out of their destination. So far the journey had been leisurely, if a bit dull. They hadn't really encountered any wild beasts save for a few rodents here and there. Tubbs had made short work of those - much to the disappointment of Claw and Thora. Most of the time the two engaged in idle chatter or tended to their weapons and equipment, and in the evenings Ashe would demonstrate his mastery at cooking. One night, Caspar insisted he prepared the meal. 

“You don't have to cook every night Ashe. Don't get me wrong - your cooking is fantastic - but why don't you let me do this chore tonight, I feel bad since you've been doing it the whole time.” 

Ashe turned his silver-haired head and raised an eyebrow. “I'm not convinced that what you make would be edible, Caspar. How much kitchen experience do you have?” He questioned, knowing full well that Caspar had none.

“The basics at least….” Caspar trailed off, holding his chin and looking upwards, as if he was trying to recall something. Ashe turned back to tending his bow, stifling his laughter. Caspar’s claim to know the basics didn't convince him - at all, but he had been cooking the last few days and Caspar really wanted to help out. So, Ashe thought he would have some fun with this.

“Alright I'll humour you then, Caspar. You can cook tonight. While you sort the meal, I'll make sure there's nobody nearby to attack us.” Both men were confident in their ability to fight, as well as their companion’s, so Caspar didn't protest. “See you in a bit. C’mon Thora.” And Caspar was left alone to prepare the meal. Little did he know Ashe was out hunting for more meat because he knew Caspar would fail at cooking anything, but would keep trying anyway.

What Ashe returned to an hour or so later could only be referred to as a bomb-site. Smoke rose from several pots and the only smell was that of burning. Caspar lay in the middle of it all, looking completely defeated.

“Just the basics huh?” Ashe teased, walking into the fray, Thora behind him with a deer on her back. He set his bow down, removed the carcass from Thora’s back and placed the deer carcass nearby, ready for cooking.

Caspar sat up quickly and spun around. “Ashe, oh god, Ashe. Shit, I’m so sorry. I was in way over my head…I thought I could do something but it…turned out...well” he gestured to the mess around him. He paused for a moment, “Oh! Don’t worry, I'll clean it up. I’m never offering to cook again though, hope that’s alright?” He offered a grin. Ashe was glad his friend wasn’t too down on himself for it - typical Caspar.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ll cook once you’ve cleaned one of these pots alright?” Ashe smiled back. Despite the mess and the charred supplies, the evening had actually been quite exciting compared to the rest of the journey.

* * *

With promises of Caspar never trying to cook again, the two set off the next day once more, animals in tow. It would now only be a few hours before they reached their final destination. As they were nearing Castle Gaspard, Caspar noticed that Ashe seemed to be getting more and more anxious.

“Hey, Ashe, you good? You look anxious as hell, what’s going on? You’re usually more confident these days.” Caspar asked, puzzled at how his friend was acting.

Apparently the grey-haired boy hadn’t even realised he was fiddling with his bowstring. “Uhh...it’s just been such a long time. And when the kingdom fell I left Gaspard territory to join House Rowe in the war. Had Byleth not spared me in Aillel, the last time I saw my siblings would’ve been...well let’s just say it was on a bad note. I’ve written letters since I returned to Garreg Mach, and we made up but it’s still a bit nerve-wracking to be returning home after all this time, not to mention as the Lord. I wonder how they feel about it all.” This was a side of Ashe that Caspar was not used to seeing, while Ashe could sometimes come across a bit nervous and timid, this was something far more personal to him. Both were present during the battle against Lord Lonato five years ago, and Caspar hadn’t even considered the fallout of that for Ashe, and how much it would affect his Lordship. Would the locals even accept someone who was present at perhaps the most destructive battle those in Gaspard territory had ever experienced? He made a mental note to be more considerate of these things in the future, he was bullheaded after all and sometimes didn’t realise the weight of some things to certain individuals.

“Ashe, listen. You've got nothing to worry about! You’re perhaps the best bow-user I know...well, after Shamir, and you’ve proved your loyalty and affection for people time and time again. There’s no way that you won’t be an amazing Lord and if the people don’t accept you at first, then you’ll just have to prove to them how great you are! I’ve got your back, and of course your siblings will too.” Caspar realised in that moment he didn’t actually know much about Ashe’s siblings except that he had one brother and one sister. “Uh actually, before we arrive you may need to tell me more about your siblings.” Once again Caspar flashed his signature grin. 

“Oh..oh! Of course. In all the time I've known you and the other students, I don’t think I even mentioned their names to a lot of you. They’re not twins, but you would think so. The older of the two, my sister, is called Harriet. She’s three years younger than me. My brother is called Freddie, and he’s four years younger than me. They’re both great kids...though they’re not really kids anymore.” he chuckled, stroking Tubbs as he did, easing up a little. “It’ll be nice to see them after so long. They’re both quite gifted at certain talents. Freddie originally wanted to follow me and learn the art of the bow,” a snigger came from Caspar - he found it funny when Ashe said ‘art of the bow’, it just sounded silly though of course there was an art to all types of weapons, Caspar could respect that - Ashe carried on, ignoring his friend’s amusement, “and he wasn’t awful at it, but he eventually realised it wasn’t for him and moved onto the speedy, and short range stuff like gauntlets and swords. He’s a decent fighter, you may be able to teach him a bit, actually. You two would get along. Harriet, on the other hand, was determined to be something different to the two of us, and so she decided to pursue magic. Our family doesn’t have a natural affinity for it, but she practised since she was young, and while she’d be no match for Lysithea, she could deal some damage - she uses her keen Ubert sight to make strong and accurate hits that affect only a small point. These spells cause more damage when they’re focused, to make up for the lack of damage if they were just traditional shots. It’s quite ingenious actually, like shooting an arrow, but with different types of magic. She also knows basic swordplay when her magic isn’t the best option.” Ashe finished, satisfied that he gave a thorough description of his brother and sister. At the same time he realised how proud he was of them. Despite being nervous about going home, talking about those he cherished calmed him down to the point he was actually really excited to get to Castle Gaspard.

Caspar, now convinced that Ashe was feeling better, relaxed into his seat. Hearing his friend talk about his siblings made him wish he had the opportunity to talk about his family, but unlike Ashe he wasn’t so proud of them. That wasn’t going to put him in a downer though, he was Caspar. No longer one of many Bergliezes, but just Caspar - maybe one day he would get a cool title to make him unique. As he had been trying to do all his time at Garreg Mach, he felt he was finally able to forge his own path, and without a doubt that was here, with his friend Ashe and helping rebuild the world his father helped damage. It also sounded like he’d be getting a new student so that would be interesting. He finally gets to be the taller one...hopefully.

* * *

A few hours passed and they finally arrived at Gaspard in the early afternoon but when they got there, things weren’t...quite right. The gate to the town was firmly shut and there was little in the way of noise to be heard through it. 

“That’s odd…” Ashe spoke.

“What is? Gates are usually closed right, we just gotta knock! No biggie!” 

“Caspar, I don’t think that’s…” Too late. Caspar banged out some - surprisingly - strong knocks onto the gate in front of them. 

“Oo goes there? Gaspard ain’t acceptin’ visitors right now. S’in ya best interest to leave,” came a gruff sounding voice from the other side, “Leave now, or we shoot ya on the spot, ‘aight.”

“What? It’s-mf mff“ Caspar started to shout back but Ashe clamped a hand to his mouth and gestured for him to be quiet with a finger on his own lips, then whispered.

“Caspar, they’re not Gaspard guards! I think bandits have taken over the town. We need to be careful about this.”

“Mff mfff” 

“Whoops, sorry.” Ashe removed his hand from Caspar’s mouth, he hadn’t meant to keep it there for so long and blushed a tiny bit out of embarrassment. Caspar ‘whispered’ back but it was more like a slight inside voice.

“How’d that happen? Aren’t there knights who can protect this place? Not to mention Harriet and Freddie.” 

“It was probably a surprise attack. Since the war is over, a lot of places have been relaxing their guard, not to mention that there would’ve already been heavy losses from the war. I'm confident they would’ve just been captured. No way they would kill the new Lord’s siblings if they could had potential value to them. I’ll bet they're still being held in town, the ‘guards’ are on the defensive after all. Though it doesn't seem like there are any archers like he claimed.”

“Okay then, why don’t we just get onto our Wyverns, fly down and wreck the bandits then!?” Caspar suggested, already reaching for the silver axe on his back. 

“Caspar! No! Yes, we’re stronger than some typical bandits, but we don’t know how many of them there are. You’re strong, but that type of charging in will likely just get you killed. Didn’t you learn anything from the professor? We need to strategize in situations like this…” Ashe realised at that moment he would protect his friend as much as he could. He did not want his companion to die. Caspar looked frustrated at this suggestion but stopped reaching for his axe.

“Okay then, what’s the plan?” he asked. Ashe suddenly got a devious grin. And whispered something in his ear.

“No.”

“C’mon! It’s foolproof!”

“No!”

“Caspar, I don’t think we have any other way of convincing them to let us in. Now go get into something lighter and less war-like. Wear something strong under your shirt though. You’ll still need some protection. I’ll wait in hiding, in the back of the wagon.” He turned to Thora. “Okay girl, you’re coming with us as our ‘safety wyvern’.” Caspar turned to his own wyvern. “Claw, buddy, go hide somewhere with Tubbs where you won’t be spotted. It’s a good thing there’s no guards on the walls.” Loyal as ever, Claw flew off to a nearby wood, a soft meow could be heard too.

* * *

An hour or two later their plan was ready to be put into action, they couldn’t go back too soon or the guards will think it’s the same people. Caspar was to pose as a merchant from Garreg Mach with ‘rare goods’ such as ‘Claude’s wyvern armour’, and a ‘silver axe wielded by the hero Caspar’. The idea was to fool these bandits into thinking there was treasure to be gained. Thora was to be used to intimidate mostly, but also for Ashe to mount when he jumped out of his hiding place in the back of the wagon. Ideally, the action would be too fast for the bandits to react quick enough, and Ashe and Caspar could surprise them and retake the town. The biggest obstacle was Caspar being able to stay in character for long enough, there would likely be too much injustice around for him to cope, but Ashe would be way too recognisable and they couldn’t risk that.

“Ready Caspar?” came Ashe’s voice from inside the wagon. “Just the two of us retaking a whole town is quite the feat, think we can manage?”

“Ha. Easy. Don’t worry Ashe, we’ve got this.” Caspar grinned though nobody could see it.

“Make sure to stick to the plan, if you don’t we could fail.”

“I hear ya. But don’t worry, I've got this!” 

And with that, Caspar once again knocked on the door. Weaker than last time, to help sell it was someone different. The gruff voice was heard again. 

“Oo’s there? You ‘ave no business ‘ere, leave now if you know what’s good for ya!”

Caspar put on an accent to sound like a merchant. “Um, ‘ello, I’m a merchant from Garreg Mach, got some interestin’ goods left over from some of the war ‘eroes. Might be nice to display something like that right? They’re practically treasures…” the blue-haired boy made sure to stress the last word to make it sound more appealing. 

“Treasure, eh?” the gruff voice questioned, he sounded less sceptical and more like he was considering it. “Sounds lovely, aight, in you come.” And the gate began to open, just like that. The two heroes had to stifle their laughter at how dumb these bandits were. They supposed it must have been their lucky day that such a bandit was placed on guard duty.

As the gate opened, it appeared that there were bandits on the other side waiting to mug them. Of course they were disguised as guards, but there was no denying that stench. Caspar, Thora and the wagon were escorted into the town, it seemed like they were being led to a central place where it would be easier to steal the ‘treasures’ but the bandits were rightfully wary of Thora. To play the act up even more, Caspar used this to his advantage.

“Oh don't worry, she won’t bite. She’s just m’ security while I'm travellin’. While I'm doing business ‘ere in town, she’ll stay in the stables, isn't the right girl.” He stroked her affectionately, making the bandits think she wasn’t a threat and was in fact quite docile. How wrong they were. 

“So what type o’ treasures you got with ya, merchant?” One of them asked. 

“Oh, I'm sure you’ll be mighty impressed! We have pieces o’ the armour Claude used on ‘is famous white wyvern, we have some o’ the weapons used by the other ‘eroes as well! Right ‘ere are the gauntlets used by the mighty Raphael, and over ‘ere we have an axe used by Hilda and we can’t forget this too the…” Caspar trailed off, in a side street he saw a young woman being threatened by one of the ‘soldiers’ while her children were hiding by her side. At that moment Caspar almost reached for his axe and bolted towards the crime, but Ashe (who had been peeking out of his cover every so often) banged the wall of the wagon to keep Caspar on track. He had also seen the injustice and the bang was in part due to his own anger - how could this be happening in HIS town. But he had to prioritise the plan, that man could be severely punished later, by both himself and Caspar. That sort of awful stuff would not be permitted in HIS town. 

“‘Aight, this is far enough. Stop ‘ere.” The bandit from the gate told Caspar. 

“Ah, is this where I'll be conductin’ my business?” Caspar feigned naiveté. A group of bandits had formed all around the wagon, Thora growled softly ready whenever Ashe was.

“Afraid you won’t be conductin’ any business here, merchant.” An evil smile formed on his face, “We’re just gonna take those goods off ya ‘ands if ya don’t mind.” The rest of the bandits had drawn their weapons, not one archer, which was advantageous to the heroes. Caspar smiled back, grinning as he does. His accent was back to normal when he spoke.

“That so, huh? You may wanna rethink that...NOW!” Caspar shouted. Ashe leapt from his cover and landed on Thora’s back; bow in his hand, quiver on his back, and a handaxe strapped to his waist. His eyes displayed a fury not usually seen in him. He knocked an arrow, “I WILL END THIS NOW”. The first bandit fell to the floor. 

Caspar charged forward, with a Caspar-brand battle cry, and killed two of the bandits in front of him 

“I'M NOT GOING DOWN!”

“What you have done here is unforgivable. Leave now or you won’t live to see tomorrow.” Ashe commanded as Thora took flight. When it came to injustice, especially injustice this personal, all Ashe could do was offer to spare them if they left. They had most likely hurt people he knew and he couldn’t forgive that. If they stayed, they would be eliminated.

None of the bandits left, perhaps they didn't realise yet who Ashe and Caspar were. This all just meant that the two of them would have to correct this injustice the hard way. While Caspar covered the ones closest to the wagon, Ashe shot from the air making sure his companion wasn't overwhelmed. In lighter armour, Caspar was fast enough to dodge most of the clumsy attacks of the bandits, but he was pushed back towards the wagon and clipped in the leg by a stray sword. He was too far away to grab the concoctions in the wagon, but if he managed to weave between some of the attacks he may be able to substitute his axe for his gauntlets. With his leg wounded, the gauntlets were the better choice. 

“Ashe! Cover me while I get to my other weapon!” He called. Thankfully Ashe had no trouble hearing Caspar’s voice as it was probably the loudest he knew, in a way it was charming. But the focus right now was the brawl, he nodded to his friend and shot arrows into the group closest to Caspar. With no enemy archers this was a piece of cake. The bandits near Caspar were immobilised and he used the time to leap into the wagon and equip his gauntlets. This increased his speed even further and it was clear the two boys were the winners here, even if they got tired eventually.

As the battle raged on and it was obvious Caspar and Ashe were tiring, the people of Gaspard started emerging, either watching through windows or taking up abandoned weapons themselves, inspired by the duo to reclaim their town. It had been months since these bandits took over, and when the townsfolk heard Caspar call out to Ashe, they found a renewed sense of hope: what if it was their Ashe? (Wanting to surprise the people - though mostly his siblings - Ashe hadn't written to inform them that he was heading home). 

Through the aid of the villagers, and the expert training Caspar and Ashe had received from Byleth, the bandits numbers thinned out and eventually the remaining dozen or so surrendered. The battle was over. 

* * *

After the battle, the villagers helped line up and immobilise the bandits who surrendered. They had commited an awful crime, but how would Ashe deal with it?

“What do we do with this lot Ashe? They need to be punished.” Caspar started.

“Agreed, but we need to tend to those who are injured and wounded. Bandit or not. They should explain themselves, I honestly don't think it'll help them much, but it's what a true knight and lord would do.” Ashe responded. He was still livid, but his weariness from the brawl had let him think a bit.

“But Ashe!! That woman! She was being attacked. We can't just let that fly.”

“Caspar, I know. But right now it's not a priority. The bandits can't do anything now, and as a Lord I can't just go around executing everyone. That's no different from what Edelgard or Nemesis would've done. I have to set an example - be better. But I promise, the victims of this takeover will see justice. Let's just get settled first. Okay?” He smiled and held Caspar's shoulder. “You were great today! But don't forget about your leg.” Caspar’s adrenaline suddenly wore down all at once and his injury throbbed. 

“AHHH crap. You're right. This...fucking hurts.” He winced.

“Oh and don't forget about Claw!” Ashe suggested, now with a much lighter tone. He could relax a bit now the battle was over.

“God, you're right!” He hobbled towards the wagon with Ashe’s assistance and grabbed a wyvern whistle to call his mount back to him. Suddenly a strong flapping could be heard as Claw descended with Tubbs on his back.

A large burly villager approached Ashe from behind. 

“Ashe Ubert, as I live and breathe!!! Or should I call you ‘my lord’ now?” came his bellowing voice. Realisation dawned on Ashe.

“Tha-that voice!” He turned around and met a familiar man arms wide for a hug. “Sir Warren! It's good to see you again!” Ashe bowed slightly, then went in for the hug.

“Likewise.” Sir Warren bowed back. “We disposed of the bandit leader ourselves, while the commotion out here was ongoing.” He reported.

“Ah thank you. Yes, he was rightly dispatched straight away. What about Harriet and Freddie? Where were they, are they okay?” Ashe looked worried. Sir Warren laughed.

“Relax, kid. When the bandits first arrived here, they fought them off for as long as they could alongside us few knights, but we were eventually overwhelmed. They were imprisoned in the castle, while all our weapons and armour were confiscated but after we dispatched the leader we freed them, they await you in the castle.” He finished.

“Ahem” a slight cough from Caspar. But Ashe was engaged in idle conversation. “AHEM” Caspar repeated, this time much louder. Ashe was brought out of his stupor from being so excited about seeing his siblings again.

“OH! Sorry!” He chuckled. “Sir Warren, this is Caspar” he gestured to his companion who bowed slightly, “we fought alongside their majesty against Edelgard and Nemesis. He's a close ally and one of the best fighters I know. Please make him welcome here.”

“Ah, the master of war formerly of House Bergliez. We have heard of your strengths alongside the stories of all the other heroes. You're very welcome here.” Warren bowed again. Caspar was quite flustered at this, rubbing his neck and blushing. 

“Y-you've heard about me?” He asked, genuinely surprised word had travelled so fast, but also really flattered.

“Of course. We have heard stories of all the heroes who brought peace to Fodlan after five long years of war. You're legends all across the continent. It is a pleasure to have you here.”

“Well, thanks.” He grinned, still blushing.

“Right then, the townsfolk are happy to attend your wyverns for you, while we should head to the castle. Lord Ashe, your siblings await. And for Caspar, we have a healer or two that can fix your leg right up. Shall we?” He gestured towards the castle.

* * *

The doors of Castle Gaspard were grand. They loomed in front of the duo, but they weren't frightening, in fact they were inviting. Order was starting to be restored after the earlier brawl and now that everything had settled down a bit, the town itself became less intimidatingly silent and the early evening light brought a sense of peace.

This was not reflected in Ashe’s mood, nor Caspar’s stomach (though the pain from his injury had dulled significantly - which was a plus). Ashe was nervous earlier this morning when the two we're nearing the town and he had calmed down, but now that the moment was actually here, that anxiety returned to him. 

“Caspar...I'm not sure I can do this. Will I truly be able to live up to previous great leaders like Lonato. I'm just...an adopted kid after all, who used to be a thief.”

“You can't be serious Ashe…” One look at the grey-haired boy’s face was enough to tell Caspar that he was, in fact, serious. “No way! You're far more than an adopted kid Ashe, you're a hero of Fodlan! You've already exceeded the great lords, and besides if you think about it they weren't always great. Not always. You're doing yourself a disservice if you don't see how great you are. Anyway, can we go in? I'm STARVING out here!” Neither Ashe nor Caspar realised the deeper meaning of Caspar’s words, they'd just come out, but they were too distracted. Ashe laughed.

“Okay, yeah. Let's go in. I've got a job to do.” He said. Caspar patted him on the shoulder to show his support, and the doors opened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! WOW this ended up being a lot longer than I expected it to be. I think I mentioned before that chapter lengths may be varied quite a bit, and I'm gonna retain that here. Next chapter will most likely be shorter, but could also be the same or longer. I'm not sure until I write them!! 
> 
> I hope it doesn't annoy anyone that I gave Harriet a variation of magic that doesn't exist in the games to suit Ashe's family, but I personally think it's really cool, and an interesting way to have the Ubert family have different skillsets, but similar strengths and weaknesses, but then adapting to them. We will meet his siblings next chapter! 
> 
> Also, there's at least three bits in this one where I suggest that Caspar and Ashe like each other, hope you can spot them! 
> 
> I also wanna address Ashe's harshness during the battle. Normally he's all about listening to people first, but when it gets personal, like it did with Lonato in game, he can become deadly serious - have him attack the dark mage in the SE corner of the map in his and Catherine's paralogue if you don't know what I mean. So that's kinda what I did here, I understand that seeing our soft boi deadly serious is a bit jarring, but it has base in canon!
> 
> I also updated the rating to mature, because I got an idea for a scene later on that would be inappropriate for minors. It may or may not be a sexy scene. It's a while off yet though, regardless, but I really wanna do it at some point for humour's sake.
> 
> I think that's it, so! Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it!!


	4. Catching Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashe is officially named Lord of Castle Gaspard, and our two heroes share tales of the war over dinner.

“May I present to you our new Lord, Ashe Ubert, adopted son of the late Lord Lonato, and his companion Sir Caspar, a hero of Fodlan!” announced Sir Warren. Harriet and Freddie were practically bouncing on the spot. It had been far too long since they had seen their older brother and they had so much to catch up with him. They started towards the door at the other end of the hall.

“Mroww” came a sound from what the two younger siblings assumed was supposed to be their brother.

“ASHE, THE BANDITS TURNED YOU INTO A CAT!!!!” Cried Freddie, who bent down with an arm over his eyes and a hand on Tubbs’ head petting him slowly. “What happened big brother? How could this happen!?”

“That's just Tubbs, Freddie...I'm assuming. Ashie mentioned him in his letters. Too quick to assume as always bro.” Mused the older sibling, facepalming at her brother’s impulsive ways.

“Right as always Harriet! Hey guys, it's been a bit, huh?” Interrupted Ashe, with a shy wave, before being charged by his younger siblings going in for a hug. 

“ASHE!” They both exclaimed, overjoyed to see their brother unharmed. “We missed you! Welcome back!” Harriet spoke, exiting the warm embrace. Freddie was finding it a bit harder to let go. 

“Heh. I've missed you guys too. You both look so grown up! We have a lot to catch up on.” He turned to his companion, gently removing Freddie from himself, and introduced him. “Guys, this is Caspar. He's one of my best friends, and the war couldn't have been won without him...actually without him, I wouldn't be here. Be good to him okay?”

“Ashe…” Caspar looked embarrassed at all the good things Ashe said about him. Harriet approached him and curtseyed.

“It's truly an honour to meet you, Sir Caspar. Welcome to our family!” Freddie followed her lead and bowed deeply. 

“Same here! I would be honoured to learn from you.”

“Uh guys...no need to be so formal okay...you're making me blush.” He was indeed blushing. Ashe couldn't help but think it was a little bit adorable. Caspar deserved the praise for sure. Tubbs came to rub against Ashe’s legs, seemingly enjoying his new home. Ashe knelt and fussed the cat a little.

“I'm happy to be here as well my furry friend.” He muttered, to nobody in particular. Caspar heard and couldn't help but smile softly at how relaxed Ashe seemed, his anxieties from before seemingly gone. Family really was important to Ashe, it made him happy, and Caspar was happy to have been welcomed into this new one after…best not to think about it. His thoughts instead drifted to the feast happening later on, he needed to eat.

After the joyful family reunion, the proceedings of Ashe officially becoming Lord of Castle Gaspard and its territory began. He sat in the Lord’s seat at the back of the audience chamber and was officially proclaimed Lord. Usually, there would be vows made according to the teachings of Seiros, but with everything that came to light at the end of the war, changes to said teachings had to be made. These changes had not yet been finalised or sent out across Fodlan, so instead the vows were merely spoken to the people during the ceremony.

“I, Ashe Ubert, oldest adopted child of the late Lord Lonato and hero of Fodlan, vow to protect the people of Gaspard territory, listen to their worries and complaints and aim to bring them the best possible life I can. I will honour the legacy of Lonato, treating all the people here with respect and dignity and bringing justice where it is due. I will honour the goddess and their majesty, Byleth, who united Fodlan under one banner and brought us peace - a peace which will be extended here for as long as I am in charge and onwards. You will be protected and safe in Gaspard, and I hope I can do right by all of you.” 

“Do the people of Gaspard territory accept these vows and this young man as their lord?” A chorus of ‘aye’ echoed across the hall. “Then, by the power invested in me by the Goddess, I name you Lord Ashe Ubert of Castle Gaspard, Hero of Fodlan.”

Cheers and applause sounded through the audience chamber of the castle, and Ashe, while extremely flustered, was just happy it had gone well. This was where he was supposed to be, protecting the people of his home from those who would do harm and bringing justice where it was needed. So why was there a tiny nagging in the back of his mind saying this wasn't quite right yet? He pushed the thought aside. Tomorrow, work would begin, but for now he had a feast to enjoy with his family and Caspar.

* * *

The dining hall of Castle Gaspard was packed, and all sorts of delicious smells wafted through the brightly lit room. The celebratory feast was well underway - tables spread across the room seating people of all kinds from Gaspard: knights, workers, children and even church members. Food at Garreg Mach involved dishes from all over Fodlan, but it was always nicer to eat it in the area where it originated from. Old Kingdom (as it was now known, given the empire, alliance and kingdom no longer existed officially other than in memory now) cuisine had a special place in Ashe’s heart - his parents used to run a restaurant before they died after all - but to honour Caspar he made sure to make one or two Old Empire dishes. As the Lord, he couldn't do much cooking but they also couldn't refuse him wanting to make one or two things - there were some perks to being the Lord for sure. He was also allowed to make dishes for his siblings, both of whom had grown up with Ashe’s cooking before he moved to the monastery. It had been too long since they had enjoyed it and it made the night really special.

“Goddess, Ashie. I have missed your cooking so damn much. I envy those who got to eat it everyday. Even Saint Cethleann would die for it, the way you prepared this meat...”

“She prefers fish, actually!” Ashe responded, not realising the connotations of what he has just said, and carried on eating. Freddie dropped his fork and looked up from his food, confused.

“Uh, what?” He questioned. Caspar piped in - remembering that nobody was supposed to know that Cethleann was still around.

“Ashe uh...read it in a book!” He suggested. “The library was full of information about the Saints. Yeah.” 

“Oh you read often, Sir Caspar? I wouldn't have seen you as the type.” Harriet continued. Caspar laughed.

“Nah. Linhardt though, despite always being sleepy, he read a lot. Ashe reads too so I ended up hanging out there with them if I wasn't training. Also, no need for the ‘sir’ there”

“Ah, I see. And okay, no more ‘sir’ then” Harriet took another bite, with a friendly smile. This time Freddie piped up.

“So Caspar, what types of weapons do you specialise in? You don't seem like the magic or bow type of guy. Do you think you could train me?”

“I mostly use axes and gauntlets. And sometimes, just my plain fists. They can be more effective sometimes and don't mean carrying a weapon around. I can also ride a wyvern!” Caspar gushed, he was proud of his achievements in combat, and rightly so.

“A WYVERN? No way!!!” Freddie was super impressed. Despite being 18, he was still pretty excitable. 

‘No wonder Ashe said we would get along,’ Caspar thought.

“I'm not as good at it as Ashe though.” He added. “Your big bro has been a wyvern rider for longer. He helped me out a lot when I was learning. We always did flying patrol as well. I'm not sure why, but the professor thought we'd work well together. It's how we became friends! That and looking after Tubbs! I'm glad I joined him back here. I'm not sure there's anyone I'd rather hang out with.”

“O-okay Caspar that's enough, you're embarrassing me!” Ashe was noticeably red. “I wouldn't have gotten to the Wyvern Rider class at all if you hadn't given me help with my axe training.” Ashe had a sudden realisation. “Do you think the professor foresaw us helping each other like that, and that's why they paired us off in the first place?” 

Caspar shrugged. “No clue! But I'm glad they did.” He grinned. Ashe blushed again, but was more happy than embarrassed that Caspar enjoyed his company. He had made a good friend for sure.

“This weapons talk is over my head” Harriet began, “why didn't you bring a nice mage for me to learn from, Ashie.” She pouted, clearly teasing.

“Oh you'd get along well with Linhardt.” said the blue-haired hero. “He's a great healer, even if he's sleepy most of the time. We've been friends since we were young, so it's possible he'll visit. If I go and visit him feel free to tag along!” Caspar did feel a little bad that Harriet had no new mage to meet. 

“What about Lysithea? I've heard of her from the stories. This is clearly an exaggeration but I heard she almost killed Nemesis with one shot of her magic! She's a similar age to me, so I would love to meet her one day.” Harriet mused.

“Oh you two would get along great!” Ashe said. “She may be kinda intimidating, but deep down she cares. That was no mere rumour either. Other than Byleth, and maybe Claude, Lysithea was the only one who could hurt Nemesis decently without getting killed herself. That was some sight. I doubt she'll ever pass through Gaspard, but if there's an opportunity, I'll make sure you meet. I think she'd be very impressed by your sniping style of magic. If not Lysithea or Linhardt though, we have a lot of other mage friends: Annette, Dorothea, Mercedes, Marianne, Ignatz, Lorenz and even Sylvain and Felix have some magical experience.” He explained. “So don't worry, you're bound to meet one of the other mage heroes if they pass through Gaspard...eventually.” He chuckled.

“Sir Felix Fraldarius and Sir Syvain Gautier know magic?” Freddie asked, surprised. “I didn't know you could learn magic if you specialise in physical weapons.”

“They just had a secret gift for it, I guess.” Ashe suggested. “I don't really know why, but Sylvain was surprisingly gifted at it without even trying. Felix would much rather keep to swords though.”

For the rest of the night, over their beautifully cooked feast, Ashe and Caspar shared stories of the war and their friends with Harriet and Freddie, and some of the younger children of Gaspard came up to the table to listen as well. Caspar was overjoyed to tell tales of the war and his victories, but much like Ashe earlier, there was a tiny nagging in his head. ‘Is this really where you want to be…?’. The bright faces of the kids and the wonder they showed pushed the thoughts away, however.

At some point, when most of the guests were gone and the cleaning underway, Ashe wandered off by himself. This didn't go unnoticed by Caspar and Ashe’s siblings. Caspar moved to follow him, but Harriet held his arm.

“I think I know where he's going. We'll tell you where, but give him a little while first.” She said softly.

“Is he okay? I'm a little worried.” Caspar asked. 

“Don't worry about it, he's fine. It's a sort of tradition of his, though not being here meant he couldn't do it again until now. He's going to the chapel.” Freddie added. “It's just down that corridor,” he pointed down a long passage, lined with old portraits, “but like Hattie said, give him a bit of time okay?” 

“Sure thing.” Harriet and Freddie retreated to their rooms for the night, but Caspar couldn't help worrying and headed down the corridor as soon as he could.

* * *

During dinner, he had forgotten. But as things quieted down, Ashe recalled and old tradition he did every so often, when something big happened in his life, which he hadn't been able to perform for many years. As he tread down the familiar corridor to the chapel, he thought about how long it had been since last time. Was it the night before the monastery, over 5 years ago? Or had it been a bit later, when the Knights of Seiros were investigating the Western Church? No it had been even later than that. The last time he was at Castle Gaspard, just before he left for House Rowe. He had come for guidance, unsure why, as it was impossible to get guidance from the dead. In the end he decided to leave, much to the annoyance of his siblings. But…if he hadn't...if he hadn't gone to House Rowe he would've never been reunited with his classmates, with Byleth, with...Caspar. While it hadn't been the greatest idea at the time, it sure turned out to be one. Ashe made sure to not this important lesson. Before he knew it, he had arrived at the Chapel.

Gaspard’s chapel was small, but very beautiful. Lonato had had it renovated early on in his lordship as he was a devout believer and wanted to be close to Goddess even away from the monastery. The walls were from the original chapel, which was as old as the castle, as there were important dedications on them that could not be removed. However, everywhere Lonato could renovate, was renovated. It was by no means as grand as the cathedral in the mountains, but there was something about it that really made it special. A few rows of pews lined the floor, pillars reached to the ceiling and a clear path cut through the middle, portraits hung on the walls. This was typical of a chapel or any other religious building, but there were intricate carvings displaying scenes from Fodlan mythology and religious texts that were so beautifully decorated, they made the chapel stand out against other religious structures. Perhaps you would find something similar in the chapels of buildings in Fhirdiad, Enbarr or Deirdru but for a minor lord, this was something very special. 

At the apex of the room there was a beautifully decorated altar bearing the crest of Seiros which would soon be altered to show the Crest of Flames. Intricate candlesticks were situated on either side of the now-outdated book of Seiros, which itself was intricately formed. The back wall featured an elegant, round, stained-glass window depicting Sothis and her children - Indech, Macuil, Cichol and Seiros (who took a central position), as well as her only known grandchild, Cethleann. Before now, Ashe hadn't realised the significance of the dragon-like forms behind the saints, but now he knew what they were. The presence of dragons in the ancient wars was previously known, but that they were the Saints themselves was new information that had only come to light in the last month or two thanks to Rhea. It was stunningly beautiful and Ashe was grateful it wouldn't have to be changed to reflect the changes to the faith of Seiros, now the faith of Sothis. The other walls had stained-glass windows as well and they were also beautiful but did not have the same amount of detail as the central window. Admiring the chapel was not the purpose of Ashe’s visit, but after being gone for so long, he appreciated it's subtle beauty and one could imagine that people would visit just to see the room.

No. The true purpose of Ashe’s visit here led him to a certain portrait, on one of the walls. He sat down, cross-legged and looked up at his older brother. 

“Hey Christophe, it's been a while…”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, welcome back! Thanks for reading!
> 
> This chapter was originally going to be longer, but the ending was just such a good line to end on. This means next chapter won't be too far off!
> 
> There's a lot more area description in this chapter than the others, and that's mostly just because I wanted to give my descriptive muscles a work out - this fic is mostly dialogue so....
> 
> I also just had such a clear idea of the Chapel in my head and what I wanted it to be so it was great to describe - I hope you get the same feeling of 'special' from it that I do. Let's not think about the money Lonato spent making it so special though...lore-wise he probs can't afford that but this is fanfic.
> 
> There were more obvious romantic lines in this one, but I think they're innocent enough so they can still come off as platonic. They might realise something is going on before they leave for their adventures, but the vast majority of the romantic stuff will happen on their adventures, so look forward to that!
> 
> I think I'll explain the details of Ashe's tradition of talking to Christophe's portrait more in the notes next chapter. Like why he started it, when it started etc etc.
> 
> Thanks again!  
-Doco56


	5. Doubts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The long-awaited chat with Christophe!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me, last chapter, around three months ago in December: '....the next chapter shouldn't be too far away!'
> 
> So that ended up being a lie. God I'm so sorry it took so long, but I do have reasons! They're in the endnotes! Enjoy!

“Hey Christophe, it’s been a while…” Ashe spoke to the portrait of his brother. To the silver-haired hero, his adoptive brother had been an inspiration. His death had taken a toll on the whole family when it happened. Out of nowhere, church soldiers came to arrest and execute Christophe for being involved in some made up plot to assassinate Rhea or, at least, take the blame for the actual plot while not being involved in the first place. His brother was gone, in an instant, just like that. Lonato was never the same afterwards - cold and distant, Harriet and Freddie had mourned for a while of course, but they were only young - too young to understand as with the passing of their parents. The toll had been the worst on Ashe who was closest to him. Almost everything he knew had been taught to him by his brother and he had left a huge impact, which for a while had just been a hole in Ashe’s heart, so it was no surprise that talking to him brought Ashe comfort. Of course, he was dead and Ashe knew he couldn’t really hear him, but even a tiny chance that he was listening from the afterlife brought comfort to the archer.

“The last few years have been... eventful, to say the least. I’m still angry at myself for abandoning Gaspard and aiding Rowe, but if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I needed to be. You taught me the importance of justice and helped me learn the ways of chivalry to become a knight, and for a while I abandoned those ideals. Sorry Christophe. But… when the Professor decided to spare me at Ailell everything changed and I realised where I needed to be. I’m not going to be a Knight anymore, I’m already a hero and a Lord, any more would probably be too much,” he chuckled to himself, “We won the war, and now Fodlan is free. I wish you were here to see it. Everything has changed. It’s been a journey and a half that’s for sure! I met so many people on it and I've truly changed for the better and I'm back where I'm supposed to be.” he stopped, “...Though, now that I'm here, back at Gaspard...I’m wondering if I'll be able to make the difference in the world that I want to make…..Oh!” his thoughts shifted suddenly, pushing the doubts out of his mind, “I brought one of those friends back here with me! He’s originally from the empire but cut ties with them when the war started. His name is Caspar and he shares the same view of justice that I do! He’s another of the heroes who fought on the side of Byleth in the war with me. We got pretty close, heh, we even look after a cat together! He didn’t have anywhere else to go, and it was pretty adorable when he asked if he could come with me back here. I hope he settles in well. Perhaps I’ll bring him here sometime! Then again...would he tease me for talking to a picture? Either way, I think I can trust him enough to show him this. He’s a bit headstrong, but when it really matters he can slow down and think, there’s no doubting his fighting ability though, that’s for sure. We balance each other out well I think - perhaps we’d be a good mercenary pair!” Ashe’s spiel started winding down. “Anyway, Christophe. I’m sorry for going against what you taught me, but in the end everything worked out right I think. Even so, I won’t make the same mistake again.” He paused. “It’s getting late, so I’ll be going now.” He stood up and stretched. “See you Christophe, I miss you...” He touched the frame, smiling softly as he did so. It was only a portrait, and he knew this, but these moments of peace where he could imagine talking to Christophe again? They were special, and nobody could ruin that.

Suddenly there was a CLANG as if something fell over, an old display set of armour perhaps, followed by some alarmed whispering and hurried footsteps. Someone had been listening in, someone who probably shouldn’t have. Ashe was suddenly embarrassed, wondering if Caspar had heard his little spiel about their friendship and decided to quickly retreat to his quarters to avoid a confrontation. They’d speak about it tomorrow or something…anytime instead of right now. He covered his face as he hurried to his bedroom.

* * *

Caspar moved from his cover to try and get out of the area before Ashe saw him, but as he attempted to do so…CLANG! The suit of armour he was hiding behind clattered to the ground, Ashe looked round in alarm.

“SHIT. FUCK. CRAP.” Caspar whisper-shouted, “I gotta get outta here…” He turned and ran back in the direction he came. He knew he shouldn’t have gone there of course, Harriet and Freddie had warned him not too. Ashe was just doing a little private ritual that he does when he’s home, no biggie. But of course, Caspar’s curiosity was too much, he had to check it out. If he stopped and thought about it for a bit, he probably wouldn’t have gone, but he was Caspar, thinking was secondary to everything else in most situations. 

As he ran back towards the dining hall he considered Ashe’s words. ‘A mercenary duo…’ he thought. Not a bad idea, to be honest. It meant he’d be fighting often and could help people at the same time! He’d done so in the past between the war starting and reuniting with the class, but then he had been alone and hated it. With a friend, especially somebody who understood him like Ashe did, it would be even more fun. Is this what that nagging in his head over dinner had been hinting at? A desire to travel the world helping people, like the heroes they were? Unfortunately, with Ashe as the Lord of Gaspard, this was little more than a pipe dream. There was almost no way Ashe could leave his post so suddenly. That was okay though. Caspar was happy to stay in Gaspard and help the people there, he couldn’t place his finger on why but it was something to do with not wanting to be alone as a mercenary and staying by Ashe’s side. Perhaps he’d eventually set off by himself, but he didn’t really want to go without a friend. Upon reaching the dining hall he was pulled out of his thoughts by a mischievous Tubbs pawing at leftovers.

“Mrowwww” came an agitated cry. Caspar chuckled.

“Tubbs. What do you think you’re doing, you silly cat!” he teased, picking up his feline companion, just to be met with more meows. “I don’t think you can eat those. You can eat these though!” He picked up some cat-friendly sweet buns from another table, one for tubbs and a few for himself. “Late night snacking!” he cheered. Tubbs seemed to agree and made himself comfy in Caspar’s arm. It had been a long day, so Caspar understood Tubbs’ tiredness. “Let’s head to bed shall we pal?” And with that they moved towards the upper floors of the castle. Tomorrow would also be a busy day.

* * *

After undressing and settling Tubbs into his catbed (a wasted effort, Tubbs would just leap up onto Caspar’s bed at some point in the night), Caspar was ready to hit the hay and bring on tomorrow. He recounted the scene he'd witnessed that evening, and what Ashe had said in the chapel...

“Travelling around the world with Ashe, eh?” He said to himself, before lying down on his bed. “...With...Ashe...” Caspar smiled, drifting to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, and I'm also sorry it's a little short!
> 
> There are quite a few reasons for this:  
\- Visiting home for the holidays, basically had no free time.  
\- After the holidays I had essays and stuff to do, but most of January I had a massive hit to my motovation  
\- The KHIII DLC released  
\- Lack of motivation to write kinda lasted from then until nis  
\- Miscellaneous other things  
\- This chapter was basically done, but I didn't realise it until a few days ago because I was always hoping to add more to it. I realise now it's fine as it is, but I won't claim to know when the next will come out, need to revise my story plans for the next few chapters! 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this shorter chapter! The stuff I said I'd explain in these notes last chapter, were basically explained in the writing itself but feel free to ask questions about Ashe's little ritual. Once again I'm so sorry it took so long to update but I'm hoping it won't take three months to update again. Thank you for sticking with it if you have so far!


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